The Shadow Down the Hall
by chickiidoo
Summary: A mysterious woman tries to pick off the Titans one by one. Who is she? What does she want? But more importantly, can they stop her?
1. The First Morning

A/N: Hallow, all. I'm back, with my second fic! That is, if you call that 'other' thing I did a story... I doubt that will be ended. I'll add a note in or something. But it really isn't fun doing a diary. Oh well!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans. If I did, we would have already seen the ending of the season! :grr: And Terra would already be dead- a long, slow, excruciating death! I also don't own Cocoa Puffs...yum...

* * *

She stood looking down at the figure of the peacefully sleeping boy in front of her. He was beautiful. His spiky black hair, pale skin, and muscular body. She cursed the mask hiding his eyes. For all the years she'd been watching him, stalking him, she had never seen his eyes.   
  
Where they blue, like the ocean? Brown, like the earth? Green, like the grass? Grey? Hazel? Soon, she would know. She _would_ see his eyes, if it was the last thing she was to ever see.  
  
She left his room, moving around the electronically guarded tower undetected; she stopped to watch each of the teen heroes in their most vulnerable state. Raven, turning fitfully in a nightmare. Starfire, the usual ditzy smile plastered on her slumbering face. Beast Boy, clutching a cute little stuffed animal to his chest. Cyborg, plugged into a generator.   
  
She laughed, thinking how easily she could slaughter each and every one of them. It wouldn't take her more than ten minutes. They wouldn't _know_ what hit them. But, that would be much too _easy_. She had to see Robin's eyes when he was _alive_. Anyway, there would be no _fun_ in that. She enjoyed the torture, the screams; enjoyed the kill. She even enjoyed cleaning up in the end- disposal of the body and such. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before.

* * *

Robin awoke the next morning with a throbbing headache. He felt as though he had been hit by a train. He never woke up with migraines. His sleep always got rid of them. He slowly walked downstairs to the kitchen. But he wasn't the only one there.  
  
"Hey, you're up early. Everyone else is asleep," greeted the girl sitting at the table, drinking tea.  
"Oh, hey Raven. Morning," mumbled Robin sleepily.  
  
Robin sat down with his bowl of Cocoa Puffs. Raven got up and left to go meditate on the roof. The tower was eerily quiet, but Robin was aware of every little noise; the refrigerator humming, the wind outside, the water crashing on the rocks.   
  
He was just about to take another bite of cereal, when he felt something cold, wet, and slimy on his neck.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Robin screamed, sounding like a girl. Behind him was a large green camel, who quickly morphed back into Beast Boy.  
  
"Hey dude, afraid of a camel? Hahaha!" laughed the green changeling.  
"What is your _problem_!? You just. . ."   
"Hello, friend Robin! What ever is the matter?" questioned the angelic alien in front of him.  
"Nothing, Star," started Robin, looking over at BB, "_Someone_ decided to play a _joke_ on me."  
"Aw, you poor _baby_. Do you need your binkie?" joked Cyborg, who had just arrived.  
"What_ever_. I'm going to the training room," retorted Robin.  
  
"Ima get some grub. I am HUNGRY," stated Cy, making his way to the fridge.  
"No way, man. This is Kitchen el BB. TOFU TIME!" grinned Beast Boy.  
  
As the boys argued, Starfire grabbed her toast and mustard and went to the television. _Now, I wonder what a 'binkie' is. Oh! It is time for the show of televison!_ Starfire thought, turning on the television. She was watching Newlyweds. _I love this show, especially the smart girl, Jessica.  
_

* * *

Up on the roof, Raven was having problems meditating. She felt uneasy; her mind kept replaying a dream from last night. It was more of a nightmare. She had the feeling she was being watched last night. _Someone_ had been in the tower. Or she _thought_, anyway. She couldn't tell who, or why. It was probably just a mouse, or some other pest. All the same, Raven didn't like the chill wrapping itself around her body.

* * *

Robin was enjoying beating the shit out of one of Slade's androids the Titans had captured and reprogrammed. They made very good training dummies, and Robin always got a thrill out of seeing 'Slade' lying on the ground, beaten. It was satisfying, punching 'his' face, kicking 'him' in the stomach. Today, Robin had won eight out of 10 spars with the thing.  
  
Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven soon joined him. The only person missing was Starfire.  
  
"Where is she _now_?" whined Robin.  
"That show she watches is still on. If you'd call that trash a show," commented Raven.  
"Dude, how can she watch that?" wondered BB.  
"Erg. BB, go get her, will you?" Robin was losing his patience. "Just tell her to tape it or something."

* * *

When Beast Boy returned, there was a look of undeniable shock and fear on his face. He had turned a pale shade of green, and he was starting to babble.  
  
"She...she...she's not there. But...but...there's th...this."  
  
He held up a piece of paper with what looked like red ink on it. Robin grabbed the note, and quickly scanned it. Rereading it, his face was a mirrored image of Beast Boy's minus the green. He read the note aloud:  
  
_One down and four to go. I plan to have fun with this. Your poor friend looks so innocent when she is scared. Even when she screams. I can't wait to have fun with her. But I don't want to be rude and exclude anyone. I suggest you watch your backs. You'll hear from me in a few days. Enjoy them- you could be next.  
_  
There was a dead silence throughout Titans Tower. Beast Boy had fainted at the end of the note, and was lying on the ground. Cyborg's body language gave away nothing, but his human eye was full of distress. Raven stood near Robin, thinking about the dream she had, dumbstruck. She was still very, very _cold_. Robin was staring at the note, obviously trying to hold back tears. He finally spoke.  
  
"You guys. I think...I think it's...blood."

* * *

Wee! That's chapter one! Hopefully it's better than my other story. So, please review! I don't care what you say... just let me know you read it! You can say cheese is fun...that I suck at life...I can't write for monkey poop...whatever....just  
REVIEW!   
  
And if you forgot how, just click 'go'.   
It's right at the bottom, on the left. See it? :points: Right there. NOW GO REVIEW! Please. 


	2. The Next Day

A/N- Hallow, all, once again. I'm back, after FINALLY getting over my writer's block. Evil thing that is. I start back to school soon, sadly, and updates will come slower. I'll have absolutely NO time, but I will still write! I hope. That's about it.  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own the Teen Titans, I know, I know. If I did, Terra would be dead, and the season would be over, dammit! GAH!!! heh- enjoy!

* * *

The Titans never did train that day. It was mostly spent looking for clues. They couldn't track her communicator, because she didn't have it with her. A quick check of her room showed that it was still on her dresser. Cyborg spent half the day watching the security monitors. For some reason, they showed Starfire eating her toast one minute, and the next she was... _gone_. Just like that. He found no one entering, no one leaving. His motion sensors hadn't picked up anything. Maybe, just _maybe_, Starfire left on her own accord. But that was next to impossible. She would have told someone; then there was that note. Written in _blood_. He couldn't find any security breaches, which would show up if someone had done something to the circuits, turned off the power, etc. And, even if there was, his internal computers would have picked it up. There wasn't anything wrong with them. So, there weren't many things to do, except wait. Robin decided they should all get some rest, and they would have a meeting in the morning.

* * *

She came in the night again. She was enjoying fooling them. It was so much _fun_. I mean, the Tower was easy enough to find. Even an idiot could find it. Didn't they think it a little..._dangerous_ that they were so known? I mean, anyone could fly over and drop a bomb on them. Everyone knew Robin's mentor, Batman, had one of the most secret lairs in the country. For that matter, in the _world_. So, all she had to do was find Jump City, and there it was. A huge T sticking up from an island. In the middle of an ocean. How pitiful.  
  
But she wasn't here to complain about their choice of housing. She was here for _them_. She had decided on watching Beast Boy tonight. He was so cute, sleeping with his little stuffed animal. It was hard, though, not making noise. He had many piles of junk on the floor. She could barely find his bed. How could someone _live_ like that? After watching him sleep for awhile, she left the Tower. She'd be back.

* * *

The next morning, the playful breakfast banter was sadly absent. Cyborg and Beast Boy didn't even have the epic real meat/tofu meat argument. They didn't have their referee. It wasn't fun without Star.  
  
But everyone was at the table. Even Raven hadn't left for the roof. They were all there, eating their breakfast. Well, it was more picking at their breakfast than eating it. Most of all, it was _quiet_. Yes, there was the noise of silverware against plates, the refrigerator humming, and the sink dripping. But there was no talking, no laughter.  
  
Star wasn't there to make them talk. Although Robin was the leader, Star was like a glue that held the team together. Kept them friendly. She wasn't there. Raven looked woefully at the clock; it was 8:35. _Starfire would be watching Newlyweds right now._

* * *

Robin cleared his throat, 'Uh, guys? You can, uh, all get changed, and then we can have that, uh, meeting. In the living room. At 10. Okay?'  
  
The Titans nodded. Everyone got up, trudging to their rooms. No one wanted this meeting, but it had to be done. They had to go over safety precautions.

* * *

Beast Boy got to his room, and started to change. _Wow. Robin seemed pretty upset at breakfast. We all did. We all were. But I think Robin had a crush on her. HAS a crush. Starfire isn't dead. She can't be dead. I mean, right? Who could kill Star? She's...Star. Our Star. No one can take our Starfire away, dammit!_ BB tried to hold back his tears as he left for the living room.  
  
Raven was already there. So was Robin. They weren't talking, or even moving. Just sitting there. Robin's mask hid his eyes, shielding his thoughts. Raven's hood was up, as usual, but it was pulled down over her eyes. If they had seen them, they would have been slightly red and puffy.  
  
BB sat down next to Raven, and stared at the television and the three game consoles they had. _She isn't going to umpire our games anymore. NO! She will! Star isn't dead!_ He tried to disguise his sob with a cough. Raven looked over, and she felt bad for him. She knew how he felt. _It was hard. Star was like her best friend. Is my best friend, dammit! She is coming home soon, and I'll go to the mall with her. And she can even pick out for me._ Raven was trying to keep her emotions in check. She had already trashed her room crying. She was fighting a losing battle. It was futile. Everyone's nerves were on end. They were all sad and a little scared.  
  
Cy walked in, slumping. They all gathered on the couch, waited for Robin to speak.  
  
'Okay. I know this is a hard time for _all_ of us. Starfire was a friend to us. She was family. I think we all need to stay together, power in numbers. We need to have our communicators at ALL times. This isn't just a test. Starfire is gone. Our teammate is missing. There is a chance she's still out there, but there is no way to be sure. All we can do is hope for the best. And wait. We're keeping the buddy system here. We go to the bathroom in twos- one person waits outside until the other is done. I think we should all sleep here tonight. I know it's brutal, but we have to stay together. For Star. Now, has anyone got the mail?'  
  
Beast Boy spoke up, 'Naw, that's Sta... I'll get it.'  
  
He walked outside to get the mail. He came back with a square cardboard box and a fistful of mail. He set the on the table. Raven reached for the mail to sort it, and Robin went to the kitchen for a razor blade. This would be the time when BB would make a joke about the contents of the box. 'Maybe it's a bomb! Or underwear!' were the usual antics. But not this time.  
  
Robin came back to the living room with the knife. He was curious as to the contents. He would be more excited if Star was here. She was always loved the mail. If Robin hadn't been so depressed, he would have noticed the lack of postage on the box. He could have seen it before it was too late. He opened the box, and screamed.  
  
'Robin! What's wrong?' yelled Cyborg, looking in the box. 'Oh, Jesus. No, no. It's Starfire. Her head. She's...oh, Jesus.'

* * *

Heh- how'd you like it? It could have been better, but I am still nursing a blocked mind. So there! Hehe. So, please review. I have sunk so low that i don't care what you say about my story! I just want to know more than two people have actually read this piece of crap! :cries: Just Kidding! hehe  
  
REVIEW! Click that little blue/light purple button! Incase you can't FIND it, its that little blue thing at the bottom of the page! 


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